


It Can't Rain All The Time

by ilyena_sylph, Merfilly



Series: Get Out of the Fridge [14]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-27 03:41:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8385823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilyena_sylph/pseuds/ilyena_sylph, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: People find their stride, and the pieces they need as the galaxy lurches forward.





	

Yané and Moté giggled as they swept the babies and bags away from the Senator's apartment, all on orders from the Senator, they said. Obi-Wan had gotten confirmation, not that he doubted the ladies, but these were his twins… well, Anakin's. Never mind that they both had become his primary focus, to the point of dodging meetings with Masters Yoda and Windu.

He didn't really know what to do with spare time, so he went to make certain the apartment was clean, tidying where he had been lying about with the twins on the floor. He'd just folded the blanket away when there was a buzz at the door, confusing him further. 

Obi-Wan walked over, checking the security feed… to see a man he had begun to give up on seeing standing there. Cody was standing stiffly, wearing tactical blacks instead of armor, his face bare to the world.

Without hesitation, Obi-Wan opened the door, stepping back as invitation to enter, even as he tried to find his voice.

"Commander."

That, possibly, had not been the best start.

His General, despite being immaculately clean, looked as though he'd been dragged by one ankle through a thousand klicks of Varonat swamp... and that was before he looked in his eyes (ghost-eyes like General Skywalker's) and saw the mix of relief and pain. If General Skywalker hadn't warned him, he would have fallen back on matching formality -- and he was sure that _that_ would end terribly. "I'm so damned glad to see you, sir." 

"Cody." Obi-Wan got the door sealed and then reached, as those words soothed a ragged part of his soul. He'd have words with Padmé about being so sneaky, understanding now that she had connived to get him free for the day. Right now… he tucked in along Cody's body, face in the join of shoulder and neck, his eyes closing as he just breathed in the essence of this man that had kept him closer to sane for the entire war.

"Obi-Wan," Cody said, soft, and gathered his General in as tight against his body as he could, hands holding on hard at nape and hip, feeling the desperation in his body. "Sir... sir, I'm here," quiet, low whisper, doing his best to reassure him. 

Obi-Wan sagged into that support. How long had he given himself to Cody's care? Had it really only been about the third campaign in? Probably. Cody had called him out for his recklessness, demanding he commit to living for the men, instead of trying to die by heroics. That night had gone… intimate, with both of them aware of power imbalances, and choosing to be very Vod'e about leaving rank carefully out of their bed.

"You're safe, and you are here," Obi-Wan finally said. "I can't ask for much more, can I?"

Cody growled, low in his throat, and shifted just enough to put his lips at his lover's ear. He'd dragged Obi-Wan out of suicidality once, he could do it again if he had to, and right now he thought he just might. The way Obi-Wan had latched onto him had felt very, very familiar, and not in any of the ways he liked.. "You can ask me for anything -- and you had kriffing well _better_ do so." 

That set Obi-Wan's shoulders to shaking, and after a moment, Cody could tell it was near-silent, almost hysterical laughter. 

"Cody, please, can we go lay down?" he asked after a few moments, obeying that demand from his lover.

"I'd like nothing better," Cody answered, pressing a kiss to his jaw. "Just lead?" 

"Gladly." Obi-Wan guided him to the room Padmé had allowed to be made to one side of the nursery, carving space out of the luxurious apartment with workers that Dex had personally vetted for them. He would come out of it when he was needed, but until then… Obi-Wan had Cody back, and they had so much to work through.

+++

Ahsoka didn't wait for clearance from the outpost; she informed the Tower that the _Twilight_ was landing, and not taking 'no'. Fortunately for all involved, control in the Tower had transitioned from Fleet personnel to members of the GAR, all vetted for admin work now that Kix had seen to them and put them through an examination.

She didn't need to ask where her Master was. She didn't need to ask where her Captain was. Both of them stood out like beacons to her… and she veered from Anakin to go find Rex instead. He had sent her; he was the one that needed to know. He could also better comfort her, given that Anakin didn't always cope with strong emotions being broadcast in his direct vicinity. 

So she threw a firm 'later' at Skyguy in her mind, and went to where she could see Rex, drawing his attention to her with a very careful use of the Force on his awareness. He wasn't directly involved in the drills, just overseeing them, and once he realized his Commander was very much present and in the base, he beckoned for one of the other officers to take over.

Jogging to her was second nature, but when she plastered into his arms, absolutely shaking, before he'd gotten a good look at her pale lekku, he stiffened.

It had to have been bad, worse than Grey and his men, who had pleaded for their blasters until Coric had a word with them. That was one squad of men who were not going to heal fully until they found their baby _jetii_ and made sure he was safe.

"Shh, Commander, let's get somewhere quiet," he said, managing to tuck her under his arm and guide her through the corridors to his quarters. It felt like something surreal, to be the one in cloth, and her in armor, but she was still wearing the pieces they had modified for her, to keep her safe in case she ran into chipped clones out there. Still, it was familiar habit at this time, to pull her down with him on the berth, giving her his shoulder or chest as she needed.

What wasn't familiar was the fact she fell apart. He had watched her bear up under the stress of everything, mostly with feral snarls and defiant humor, but it seemed to have finally hit the breaking point. All he could do was hold her, let her cry it out… and possibly scream, if the faint pressure was anything to go by. Her range in her native language was above his hearing, after all.

He had no idea how long the crying lasted, but eventually she stilled and quieted, catching her breath, one hand tightly caught up in his shirt.

"Sorry, Rexter," she said softly.

"No, you needed it. I had my meltdown while you were away. Kix obliged me," Rex admitted.

"He's good to us," Ahsoka said, before shifting to better look at him. "Let me hold you, now I got that out of my system? Because it's going to hit you as hard as it hit me."

Rex's heart froze up in his chest. He moved, letting her go flat on the berth after she shrugged off shoulder and chest armor, maneuvering to make it easier on her to hold him, even as he wondered what she had found.

Then she started talking, and Rex's world crashed in on itself one more time in all of this awful mess. He didn't have to wonder, either, as his instincts told him it had to have been Wolffe, affected by the odd rapport with his Jedi. Boost or Sinker would have resorted to poison, more likely, each having picked up some medic training. Comet wasn't quite as fanatical, not having been in that escape pod. But Wolffe? 

Rex could see it of that brother. He just didn't know if Ahsoka's belief the culprit had set himself on the pyre as well held true; he'd have to put word out that they might very well have a murderous vod out there, seeking vengeance against them all.

+++

Padmé felt a surge of hope as the Senate passed the resolution easily enough. Dantooine's representative and she had been in communication for most of a week, and apparently the other woman was more than impressed with what her government was reporting on negotiations with the soon to be High General and her staff at the compound with the survivors of the GAR.

Anakin would be able to come home. And while Padmé might once have worried about Ahsoka assuming so much responsibility at so young an age, she had avidly shot down such arguments. As a party with grievances against the Jedi Order and fully conversant with military procedures, Ahsoka had been a compromise candidate all along.

Several Fleet members, led by Tarkin, had tried to shut it down in a bid to pull the GAR under their umbrella. This had been blocked by a two-fold strategy, initiated by Admiral Yularen of all people. He had staunchly stood for the appointment, and the Bothans had received discreet packets of material implicating Tarkin in subversive actions of his own.

Apparently, Admiral Yularen had no wish to take power directly, and believed separation of the two militaries was safer.

Padmé activated the communication array, wanting to tell Anakin ahead of the official news.

Anakin answered quickly, a smile breaking across his lips as he saw her. "Hello, my wife," he said lightly. "What's happened on Coruscant this time?" 

"I actually have good news, my husband," she said, smiling right back at him. "You are going to be able to come home to me and our children soon. I got the authority you asked for. The fact Ahsoka has no reason to love the Order, should it reform, and that she is held in high standing by the troops and your Admiral did the trick."

Anakin grabbed the comm and sat down, relief and delight rolling through him in quick and conflicting waves. Now that Torrent was actually coping -- making fast progress, actually -- he didn't want to leave as desperately as he had before Kix had given them all a swift kick, but he badly missed his children and his wife. And he knew there were no better hands the _vod'e_ could be in than Ahsoka's. She had a rapport with the troops he still only hoped for... and she needed the goal and mission as badly as they did. 

"...I'm amazed. That didn't take half as long as I thought it would." 

"Tarkin torqued off the wrong Admiral," Padmé said, with amusement and savage vindication. "That may speed up the provisions to demilitarize, actually, get the Fleet back to protecting shipments that are needed in the worse-hit areas of the Republic.

"We are evaluating each petition to return to or leave the Republic on a case by case basis. That, of course, is very slow going, but Corellia is providing a neutral opinion on them, to try and keep tempers down." She sighed, shaking her head. "I will be so glad to have you home, Ani."

"I'll be glad to _be_ home," Anakin replied, and meant it more than he thought he could express. "I know I have to have missed so much... speaking of, we're going to have to figure out something to let their very many 'uncles' get to see them," he warned her. 

"I don't have a problem with that at all, Ani," Padmé said, before giggling. "Thank you for sending Cody to us. It finally got my ladies off my back about Obi-Wan hoarding the twins," she explained. "Eventually, I will have to start traveling again, and I can't think of anywhere safer for the babies to spend those trips than in the heart of the Vod'e colony," she added after a moment.

Anakin flashed a smile at her for that, nodding. "No, neither can I," he agreed, pleased with that thought. "And their godparents certainly won't complain of that, either!" 

"I'm certain of that." Padmé reached out so her fingers brushed his holo just a little, even though it blurred the image. "I love you, Ani. Come home as soon as you can."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," he answered, "and I love you too, Angel. Always." 

+++

Ahsoka pushed back from her desk, still a little overwhelmed by being at the center of things. She did like the Dantooine Council of Elders. They were sincere in their belief that the Vod'e and Dantooine natives could make a better economy and standard of life together.

Granted, Obi-Wan's suggestion that she invite the AgriCorps there -- not being full Jedi, and isolated on Bandomeer besides, had saved most of them -- had helped immensely. Dantooine could thrive, under expert care. And while the Vod'e weren't born agrarians, enough of them had a need to nurture to get them started on the whole crops-mean-food thing. When they understood that many in the AgriCorps were 'failed' Jedi, they grew very protective of the newcomers, with whispers of 'Ninety-Nine' going around. Ahsoka has then been told that story, and added a new name to her litany.

She strode out from the office to wander among them all, trying not to smile too much at every patch on the uniforms that had combined her facial markings with Anakin's scar on a field that was Naboo's planetary sigil. She was never going to be unimpressed by the men's artwork. 

She hadn't made it more than two levels down before Rex was in step at her right side. He was newly promoted as well, in the Field Marshal position, a rank that was specific to his place in the overall command of the GAR. They, on a personal level, still had things to work out, but had taken quarters together in affirmation that whatever they decided on, they were a pair. She knew he spent nights with Kix, and likely would take up residence in Cody's quarters when that brother was on-planet without his Jedi, but it wasn't like she was going to give up her own association with Riyo any time soon. Physical comforts weren't the issue; it was the fact they had tied their hearts together somewhere in their years together that mattered.

"Any further word, sir, on the standing offer to the orphanages?" Rex asked.

"Still waiting for Senate clearance, but Dantooine is already in favor of the immigration. Older orphans from war-stricken worlds to come here, learn a trade alongside our men, and possibly find family with the boys." Ahsoka was still pleased with Boil for being strong enough to make that suggestion.

"And your other mission?" Rex prompted, as they were in a corridor with no one else present.

Ahsoka sighed softly. "I have established comms. I'll have to actually go to Coruscant to deliver messages to the Masters there, but the Huntress has her charges safe on a planet of her choosing. She is unwilling to risk them while the Republic is still so volatile."

"Understandable. Did she… did she accept the explanation?"

Ahsoka reached for Rex's hand, squeezing. Even though Rex had already graduated from Kamino before Master Ti took charge there, he'd heard and seen the reverence of their shinies for the woman. He knew that Ahsoka herself had, before the trial, looked up to her.

"Master Ti and Master Allie both send their sincere wishes for a safe recovery to all of the men. They bear no ill-will, and are only being this cautious because the Jedi have other enemies that would willingly wipe out such vulnerable beings as the ones they now protect."

Rex breathed out heavily; that was good news. He'd find a way to spread it to the younger men, while keeping how he knew to himself. "So now, we just move forward, and hope it doesn't all blow up again?"

"Pretty much, Old Boy," she said, grinning at him. "We survive, we remember, we live."

He repeated that, in Mando'a, before they continued their walk in silence, both well-aware how close it had come to annihilation of everything and one they loved.

They'd be all the more vigilant for it because of that though, should any new threats arise.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, one and all, for your reading, the kudos, and the comments.


End file.
